Capture
by chibichan38
Summary: Kaoru accidentally comes across a murder scene and becomes wanted for information. What will Kenshin do when they come looking for her? What will he do to protect her from the horrible fate that awaits her? Rated T for blood, violence, language & torture.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:**

Kaoru accidentally comes across a murder scene and becomes wanted for information. What will Kenshin do when _they_ come looking for her? What will he do to protect her from the horrible fate that awaits her? How much will Kenshin suffer in order to protect the one he holds the most dear in his heart? Will he have another chance to say "I'm home"?

I'm new to writing fan fics, so please be kind and try not to criticize me too much, though I will appreciate some reviews. ^.^

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for some blood and violence.

**Chapter One**

Kaoru slung her shinai and kendo equipment over her shoulder as she got ready to leave. Yahiko had left before her, shopping for groceries before he himself went home. Somehow, she was feeling slightly more tired than usual, but it was to be expected, after a long week of taking care of Kenshin who had fallen ill from a severe cold. He was just about recovering, so she took the chance to get rid of her stress by practicing at another dojo, leaving Sanosuke to look after the swordsman.

She was slightly peeved, however, making Sanosuke look after Kenshin. After all, it was his fault that Kenshin had gotten sick in the first place. If Sanosuke didn't get into a brawl with his gambling friends, Kenshin wouldn't have had to step in to protect him and get pushed into a tub full of ice-cold water used for storing dead fish. Of course, Kenshin was at fault too, deciding to stay in those wet clothes until the entire situation with Sanosuke was dealt with – which was five hours later. _That idiot freeloader. He should find a job and stop getting Kenshin into trouble!_ thought Kaoru.

Suddenly remembering how incapable Sanosuke was at doing anything caring, Kaoru decided to hurry back home to her dojo. She decided to take a shortcut, one that she rarely took unless she was with Kenshin. That path required going through many back alleys where shady things always happened, but she was in a rush today and didn't think of the consequences of going there alone.

As she entered into a particular dark alley, she could hear whimpers of a man and several other voices humming within the darkness.

"Please!" she heard a man plead, "Spare me!"

"You betrayed the boss. Do you think he will let us off if we let you go?" demanded another harsher voice.

Kaoru figured that it was another problem caused by the local yakuza. Normally, they always laid low, knowing that the Hitokiri Battousai seemed to staying in the vicinity, but Kenshin, the Battousai in his past life, had fallen sick and the yakuza's courage and stupidity had risen. They were making more problems nowadays, threatening and injuring everyone left and right.

Kaoru stepped closer, her bokken in hand. She could now make out the shapes of a man crumbled against on the wall, shrinking away from the two men with swords out, clearly threatening the injured man.

"Hiro," one of the standing men said to the one on the ground, "Why didn't you just tell the boss what you had learned about the Battousai? It was your mission to find his weakness so the boss could defeat him. Why didn't you carry through with it?"

Kaoru's ears perked at the mention of her good friend.

"Himura-san isn't a bad man, Setsuna. I have been watching him for months. All he does is be a good person! Why does the boss want to kill him?"

"Himura Kenshin is the Hitokiri Battousai. If boss defeats him, then he can make a name for himself!"

"But…"

"Hiro, why did you decide to betray the boss and steal the scroll from him before he had a chance to read it?"

_The scroll? _wondered Kaoru. It seemed important, so she listened in more carefully.

"That scroll was supposed to be left sealed for a reason!" cried the man named Hiro. "I stole it so that the boss could never use it against anyone innocent! Especially on Himura-san!"

"Where is the scroll now? Give it to me and I will give you a quick death," hissed the other man.

"Do we have to kill him, Netsuke?" asked Setsuna. He had been close friends with Hiro before this betrayal and did not wish to kill him, though he knew he must. The boss was a frightening man, having been a hitokiri during the Bakumatsu era.

Netsuke just glared at Setsuna who cowered his angry gaze.

"I will never tell you!" exclaimed Hiro.

"Then die!" Netsuke raised his sword before Kaoru could react and plunged it into Hiro's stomach.

It took everything for Kaoru not to scream. She knew that if she was discovered, she would be sought out and killed, even though she wanted to help Hiro so much.

Hiro cried out in pain, but it quickly faded away as he lost consciousness. Netsuke spat at the broken man in front of him and nodded to Setsuna.

"Let's go. He may not be dead now, but he'll bleed out in a matter of minutes. There's no way he can survive. The boss will need to know that there isn't a way to recover the scroll."

Setsuna nodded dumbly and followed his partner away from the dark alley.

As soon as Kaoru was sure that they had disappeared, she ran to Hiro and shook him awake.

"Hiro-san, please wake up. I'll take you to the doctors!" she exclaimed.

Hiro looked at her with bleary eyes. They were slightly glazed over. She knew from that look that there was no hope for him.

"You…are Kamiya Kaoru, no?" he whispered, his strength quickly fading away.

"Yes."

"Himura-san…is a…good man. The scroll…he needs to find it…before the boss…many…lives will be lost…if boss lays his…hands on it."

The man was fading fast.

"Where is it?"

"I hid it…"

"Tell me where it is so I can give it to Kenshin!"

His mouth moved, but she couldn't hear him as well anymore. She bent her head down towards his mouth to hear better.

"I mailed it…to you."

And then he was gone.

Kaoru quickly stood up. If he had mailed it to her, that means that it would have arrived earlier today. She needed to get it to Kenshin as quickly as she could. Only Kenshin would be able to take care of something so dangerous.

She bowed once in respect to Hiro, and then ran home without looking back once.

Little did she know, Netsuke had come back to steal from the dead Hiro and saw her talking with the fading man. Quickly, he gathered that he had told her where the scroll was and followed her back to her home as quietly as he could.

He needed to obtain that scroll, even if it meant killing her in the process.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it. I've had this story forming in my head for months. I just never found the time to write it out, but I'm really enjoying it right now. Next few chapters should be up soon!

chibichan38


	2. Chapter 2

Here is chapter 2! Yay! I feel like I'm on a roll today, so I'm just going to see how much I can get down. Enjoy!

Again, I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. This is rated T for blood and violence. (which is going to appear quite soon, so be prepared)

**Chapter 2**

Kaoru fumbled through her mail and found what she was looking for – a package large enough to fit a scroll. Ripping through the paper surrounding the scroll, Kaoru unsealed it and read through it. To her surprise, it was the secret teachings of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. _How do they get a hold of this?_ she gasped. She knew that these teachings were kept secret for centuries! How in the world did it get into her hands? Granted, the scroll seemed extremely old, meaning one of Kenshin's predecessors must have written everything down a long time ago. How had it resurfaced after all these years?

"Kaoru-dono?" she heard Kenshin call out. Her head snapped up as she saw Kenshin leaning against the wall of the dojo staring at her. He looked better, but his body was still weak after the cold.

"Are you alright?" he asked, coming closer to her.

She handed the scroll to him, "Look, Kenshin! This was mailed to us today!"

He reached for it and quickly read through the elaborate writings. His smiling face was replaced with a troubling frown. The same questions that Kaoru had ran through his mind.

"How…" He shook his head, knowing Kaoru probably didn't know the answers either, "This one can tell that something happened on your way home today. You should tell this one, that you should."

Kaoru quickly summed up everything she saw and heard in that dark alley. She hated worrying Kenshin when he was already so weak, but she had no choice. This concerned him, since he was the successor of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.

"Kaoru-dono, whatever you do, do not tell anyone what you have seen in this scroll. Do not even mention that you know such things. Pretend that today never happened. This one senses that this scroll brings great danger to you."

Kaoru nodded, already shaken up by the events that occurred today.

"Sano!" called out Kenshin.

Sanosuke popped his head around the corner, "Yeah? What do you want, Kenshin? Oh, welcome home, Jou-chan," greeted Sanosuke.

"This one needs you to burn this scroll. Make sure that no trace of it exists. Then, you need to go find Yahiko and make sure he gets home safely."

"Why, what happened?" He was suddenly serious, very uncharacteristic of him.

"Kaoru-dono found out something that she should not have. There will be people after her. This one is going to take actions to make sure she remains safe. Can this one count on you to take care of that scroll and Yahiko? That scroll is probably the main cause of all this, that it is. _That_ _needs to be destroyed,_" Kenshin emphasized.

"Got it." Sanosuke disappeared and a few minutes later, Kenshin could smell the paper burning. He nodded silently, satisfied with that part settled.

Kaoru, on the other hand, was extremely shaken. _There will be people after her. _Those words repeated over and over again in her mind like a broken record.

"Kaoru-dono, it will be alright," said Kenshin, noticing her uneasiness with his perceptive eyes.

Kaoru looked up at his bright amethyst eyes. They were sincere and serious as Kenshin smiled at her.

"No matter what happens, this one will protect you."

Those words washed over her like a quiet wave, calming her nerves.

She smiled at Kenshin, the one man that her heart belonged to, "I believe you."

"Thank you. Kaoru-dono, you must be tired. The bath is ready for you whenever you wish to take it," said Kenshin, slyly changing the topic. He wanted her to go away for a little bit so he could deal with the person emitting that nasty ki near the entrance. It was because he sensed this ki that he got up to greet Kaoru, despite the severe headache he still had, but it was necessary.

Kaoru blushed at his comment. She hadn't thought about how much she had sweated. How embarrassing, to be smelly in front of Kenshin. "I'll take it now, Kenshin. Thanks!"

She took off flying towards her room, her embarrassment taking over her. Under normal conditions, Kenshin would chuckle at her reaction, but there someone watching over the two of them and he did not like it.

He made sure that Kaoru was far away enough to not notice anything before he decided to make his move. Kaoru had enough to worry about as it is.

His smiling violet eyes quickly changed into a death glare as he walked towards the entrance to 'greet' the one who followed his Kaoru home.

* * *

End of Chapter 2. It was a short chapter, but I prefer putting all the juicy action together, not separated by chapters. I didn't want this chapter to be too long. Still, I hope you enjoyed it. Other chapters will be up soon! R&R please!

chibichan38


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Just getting that out of the way. But, enjoy!

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Chapter 3

Kenshin closed the gate behind him and walked a few feet forward to greet the man who followed Kaoru home. His head still hurt from his cold and he knew that he was still not at full strength – the after effect of lying down for a week, but he had to take care of this man. Otherwise, he would report back to his boss. Not to mention, Kenshin needed some answers. The Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu was something that was highly secretive, known only to a few people. And by a few, he meant himself and his Shishou. How in the world did someone from the yakuza get a hold of something so precious?

Kenshin took a deep breath and let out his ki. It thundered across the trees, causing the startled wildlife fly or run away from the area. Someone dropped out of the tree near him, shocked by a wondrous display of his swordsman spirit.

"Who are you and what do you want?" demanded Kenshin, his sakabatou close to his side as he readied himself to draw it.

The man struggled to his feet as he faced Kenshin. He was terrified of the fiery redhead and those deep eyes of his. The aura that rolled off him was just downright intimidating.

"My name is Netsuke. Who are you?"

"This one need not give you his name. This one is the one asking questions. Why have you followed Kaoru-dono to here?"

"She has something the boss wants. I need it back," Netsuke said, his nerve gathering as he spoke, "I demand that she hands it over." He was a yakuza member, and one of the best. He should not be afraid of such a tiny man holding a sakabatou. He himself was an accomplished swordsman with a _real_ sword. There was nothing to fear. Yet, his entire body seemed to reject the logic in his reasoning. He knew, deep inside his body, that his primitive sense was telling him to fear this man.

"The thing that your boss seeks has been burned and destroyed. She no longer has it in her possession; therefore you need not pursue her any longer. Go back to your boss and tell him that Kaoru-dono has nothing to do with you and that you should leave her alone."

"But she has seen the scroll! She knows what it contains!"

Kenshin's eyes narrowed, "It seems this one underestimated you. This one did not think you would be able to see her actions from so far away." He drew his sword, "This one cannot just let you go then."

Kenshin was worried. Why had Kaoru looked at the scroll?! Now the yakuza was definitely going to come after her.

Netsuke unsheathed his own sword, "Fine, bring it on!"

Before his eyes, Kenshin disappeared. Shocked, he swung around, looking for his opponent, but the redhead was nowhere to be seen. He heard a slight noise above his head and looked up with fear filling his mind.

Kenshin was at least a good five feet above his head. It seemed as though he was floating in air right before he came crashing down upon Netsuke. Pain erupted in Netsuke's head as his vision blackened. He heard Kenshin said, "Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu: Ryu Tsui Sen," right before he crumbled to the ground unconscious.

So, the one he faced was the great and almighty Himura Kenshin, the legendary Hitokiri Battousai. If he had control over his face, he would've smiled. The boss would be pleased to find out who the Battousai is, especially after he had found out what his weakness was: the woman named Kaoru. Not to mention that Kenshin knew the contents of the scroll as well. The boss was going to be so pleased when Netsuke returned.

* * *

"Netsuke, why have you returned so late?" demanded the masked man sitting on his chair surrounded by sake and half-naked women.

The cronies of the boss were lined up at the sides of the wall, ever alert, ever ruthless.

Netsuke had his head bandaged and was now kneeling in front of his boss, a smile on his face, "Boss, the scroll that you have been searching for has been destroyed…"

"What?!" The man stood up in anger. The women near him squealed as he broke the cup of sake he was holding.

"But I have found a way for you to know the contents of it."

"Oh?" The moment of anger was suddenly replaced with curiosity.

"I have found the identity of the Hitokiri Battousai and his weakness: a female by the name of Kamiya Kaoru. She knows the contents of the scroll, but so does the Battousai. You may be able to use the woman against the Battousai and get what you want."

Though the man was masked, everyone in that room could tell that he was smiling at this news. Just thinking about what horrendous things their boss was planning made them shudder quietly to themselves.

"So, who is the Hitokiri Battousai?"

"Himura Kenshin."

* * *

Ooh…getting intense! (I hope, at least). More to come, so stay tuned! ^.^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter and R&R please!

chibichan38


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Just getting that out of the way. Enjoy Chapter 4!

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Chapter 4

Kenshin was on his guard constantly now. With his vow to never kill, he knew that the man named Netsuke would wake up and report to his boss. That meant that they would be after Kaoru even now. Sanosuke was aware of what had happened and was on the lookout for anything suspicious, and for Yahiko, who had grown restless being locked up in the dojo for a week since Kaoru met Hiro.

"Oi, Yahiko! Stop messing around you brat!" yelled Sanosuke for the third time in ten minutes. Yahiko was poking at Sanosuke with his shinai, bored out of his mind. Kaoru had taken the news that someone was after her pretty badly and constantly stayed in her room, as instructed by Kenshin. Well, Kenshin's instructions were to just stay in the dojo, but she was so disturbed by seeing someone in front of her die that she just locked herself up in her room, which meant that Yahiko didn't have the busu yelling at him to practice kendo.

"Shut up, you broom-head! I'm practicing!" Yahiko yelled back. "You're just upset that I'm better than you, right?"

"What was that? You damn brat?! You have a hundred years to go before you will become better than me!"

"Sano…" started Kenshin, his head starting to throb again. The sleepless nights had started to take a toll on his already weak body. He was sure that he had a fever again, but he didn't want to mention it to anyone. The one thing he hated the most was to worry his friends.

The two continued to argue, ignoring poor Kenshin. The two had decided to fight next to where he was sitting. He would have moved, if it wasn't for the strategic positioning near Kaoru's room. Now, the two were adding on to his discomfort caused by his headache.

"Sano!" Kenshin raised his voice.

"What?!" Sano rounded on Kenshin. His eyes widened when he saw how flushed and pale the redhead was.

"Lower your voices. Kaoru-dono may be resting," he said quietly, thankful for the quiet.

"Oi, Kenshin, are you alright?" asked Sano, "You look terrible."

"This one is fine," Kenshin lied.

Yahiko glanced around Sanosuke, "You definitely don't look fine, Kenshin."

"You haven't gotten over your cold, right? And you haven't been sleeping. You should go rest, Kenshin," urged Sanosuke. "Or I might have to call the vixen to come over here and check you out."

"No. This one does not wish to bring Megumi-dono into this. Kaoru-dono is already in danger. We do not need to put Megumi-dono in danger as well."

"At least rest a little, Kenshin. You look dead,"

He shook his head, "This one will be fine."

Sanosuke knew Kenshin was stubborn and would not change his mind. If that was the case, then he could do some things that will lighten the burden on his friend.

"Fine, but this brat here and I will go shopping and do the cooking, alright? Don't overexert yourself, Kenshin."

Kenshin nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Sano."

"Let's go, Yahiko!" said Sanosuke as the two left the dojo to buy their supper.

Kenshin knew that Yahiko had wanted to go out for a while, but he was worried about the child's wellbeing, but with Sano there, it shouldn't be a problem. Kenshin leaned his head against the wall, resting his eyes for a minute. He truly did not feel well. It had been a while since he last had a cold and all the worry for Kaoru was not helping him recover, not that he cared too much about himself anyway. He was more worried about not being able to protect Kaoru when the time called for it.

Without meaning to, Kenshin accidentally fell into a deep sleep, probably caused by his survival instincts to recover from his weakened state. It was such a deep sleep that he could not sense the murderous ki that was quickly approaching the dojo.

Kaoru had heard Sanosuke's and Kenshin's conversation and she felt horrid about making Kenshin stay up all night for her. She knew he was still sick, and she knew that locking herself up in her room worried him greatly, probably causing him to get worse. It didn't help Kenshin at all. Kaoru felt extremely guilty and mad at herself for being so selfish.

She slid her door open a crack and saw Kenshin sitting in front of her, seemingly asleep. She crept forward quietly, hoping she wouldn't wake him up. She knew that he was in a very deep sleep when he didn't wake up as she approached him. Lightly, she touched his forehead. It was slightly hotter than what it should be. Grimacing at the fact that she brought it onto him, she settled down next to him, looking out into the sky. It calmed her to be near him, even though he was not conscious of her at his side.

"Kenshin, I'm alright now," she said to no one, "I'm sorry I made you worry."

"He has a lot more to worry about, little girl," came a harsh voice.

Looking up in surprise, Kaoru saw a masked man with a sword at his side standing in front of her. She didn't even notice him approaching!

His followers stood nearby, but did not move, staring warily at Kenshin's sleeping form.

"Who are you?" she whispered fearfully.

"Yamaguchi Kabuki."

"What do you want?"

"You."

* * *

Kenshin was suddenly woken up by Kaoru's scream. Unconsciously, he reached for his sword, but he couldn't find it. Panic and fear filled his mind.

"Looking for this?" sneered someone near him.

Kenshin glanced up to see a man wearing an empty mask with just eye slits to see holding Kaoru by her throat with his sakabatou against her throat – the sharp side threatening to cut off her head.

Kenshin silently cursed himself. How could he have been so careless?!

"Let her go," Kenshin said, his voice low.

"Or what?" laughed the man. "You have no sword, Battousai. What can you do?"

"Kenshin," whispered Kaoru, fear filling in her eyes. They were both thinking about the same thing. Her captors knew his true identity.

"Who are you?" demanded Kenshin, "What do you want from me?"

"My name is Yamaguichi Kabuki, the leader of the Yamaguichi yakuza clan."

"Yamaguichi?" Kenshin's eyes widened. This was bad. This was very bad. He had heard stories about the Yamaguichi clan from his days as hitokiri. They were not people you wanted to mess with. They were the single most ruthless people in all of Japan.

"And I want this girl. Apparently, she knows the content of a scroll that I have been looking for. I would've just asked for the scroll, but you seemed to have burned it. I guess I just have to settle for her."

"This one also know the contents of the scroll," said Kenshin, thinking fast. "If you leave her alone and unharmed, This one will go with you and tell you what you want to know."

"Kenshin! No!" exclaimed Kaoru. The grip on her throat tightened and any further speech was cut off. Tears dropped down her lovely face. _I don't want this! I don't want Kenshin to go!_ she cried in her mind.

"A life for a life?" asked Kabuki.

"A life for a life," confirmed Kenshin. He wasn't going to get off easily, but what could he do? Kaoru's life was at stake and he had no sword – no way to fight back. And he was _not_ about to lose someone precious to him again.

Kabuki nodded to the man on his right who walked up to Kenshin. Kenshin stood motionless and did not try to defend himself as the man struck out, throwing a strong punch into Kenshin's flat stomach.

Kenshin groaned, doubling over. The man was stronger than he thought he was. His vision blurred and faded as he collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

"Kenshin!" screamed Kaoru, "Kenshin, wake up!"

Kabuki hit her lightly on the back of her neck, knocking her out and dropping her to the ground, "Pity he vouched for your life," Kabuki murmured, "I would've enjoyed my time with you." An evil grin appeared on his face as he thought about the things he loved to do to make women suffer.

"Pick up the Battousai and take him to my castle. We're going to enjoy taking our time with him," he said curtly as he turned to leave. He dropped Kenshin's sakabatou near Kaoru's head and walked out of the dojo.

The man who knocked out Kenshin tied his arms and legs together with steel chains and flung the redhead over his shoulder. Without a backwards glance at Kaoru on the ground, the man followed his leader out.

Yamaguichi Kabuki was not a man to take lightly. After all, he was a well known sadist, especially to the victims that he captures – and especially to someone as infamous as the Hitokiri Battousai.

* * *

Kenshin is kidnapped and his kidnapper is an extreme sadist. What shall he do now? What will Kaoru do to bring back the one she loves? More to come, so stay tuned! ^.^ Hope you enjoyed this chapter and R&R please!

chibichan38


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Just getting that out of the way. Enjoy Chapter 5!

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Chapter 5

When Kenshin felt himself regaining his consciousness, he was vaguely aware of being in an uncomfortable position. There was a throbbing in his stomach from where he was punched and his head still hurt like no other. Slowly, as he came to his senses, he could feel that he was in a dark and cold place.

He opened his eyes to see his surroundings. His bright purple eyes quickly took in everything. Kenshin had been chained to a wall in some sort of dark, stone dungeon. His arms were chained above his head in V shape, and his legs dangled a foot above the ground, chained to large steel ball. He cursed. Even if he could get his arms loose, there was no way he would be able to escape with a steel ball attached to his legs.

Still, he tried to escape. He knew that Kaoru, Sanosuke, and Yahiko were probably worried about him. He struggled uselessly against the chains on his arms, causing a racket. It hurt, especially since it felt as though his shoulders were being pulled out of their sockets.

"You're awake," came the familiar voice of Yamaguichi Kabuki.

The masked man stood in front of him, three of his followers standing close behind him.

"What did you do with Kaoru-dono?" demanded Kenshin, his violet eyes glaring in anger.

"I left her unharmed, but unconscious back at the dojo. I'm a man of my word, Battousai."

"What do you plan to do with this one?" Kenshin felt relieved. He was worried that they would go back on their word and attack Kaoru, but he had to take the chance that she would be unharmed.

"I plan on learning what the contents of my scroll was, Battousai. And you will tell me."

"What makes you think that? Kaoru-dono is unharmed and by this time, Sano would have found her and found out what happened. He will keep her safe, which means this one has nothing to worry about. You no longer have any leverage, Yamaguichi."

Through the sudden shift in Kabuki's ki, Kenshin could tell that he was smiling with amusement through his mask, "Oh, I have my ways, Battousai. You will tell me the contents of that scroll."

"Why do you want to know so badly? What will you get out of it?" Kenshin knew that he was in deep trouble, but the more he questioned, the more answers he got, which meant the more time he got. He had to think quickly.

"I heard from Netsuke that the contents contain the secrets of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. If I learned them, then I would be able to easily defeat you and take up the name of the strongest in Japan. Why else would any sane man want to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu?"

Kenshin chuckled, "Many men have tried to learn the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Few have succeeded," and his voice suddenly turned to a low threat, "And even fewer have managed to extract that information out of this one. No one has been able to force it out of this one, and no one _will_ force it out of this one."

Yamaguichi was surprised to see a glint of murderous yellow in Kenshin's deep purple eyes, but it quickly faded away, as did his shock.

"You know what they say: there's a first time for everything," smirked Yamaguichi.

He stepped back and snapped his fingers. The three men each drew out a torturing instrument of some sort: a whip, a knife, and a hammer. Kenshin felt his heart stop for a second. This was not good. Even he could not withstand torture for too long, but he had made a vow to his Shishou to never give out the Hiten Mitsurugi secrets.

Yamaguichi removed his mask to show an evil grin, almost like Saito's, as he said, "Begin."

The next second, Kenshin felt blinding pain as the whip lashed against his chest. That was bearable, but as the second man raised his dagger to create a jagged cut across his chest, Kenshin could feel his will to not scream out in pain fading. Then, the third man raised the hammer…

A tortured scream filled the dungeon and echoed down the halls of the isolated castle.

* * *

Sanosuke paced around impatient, trying to figure out what he should do. Kaoru had been attacked, but somehow, Kenshin managed to convince the yakuza to exchange her life for his. What Kenshin did came to no surprise to him, but he was worried about what this Yamaguichi Kabuki would do to him. Not to mention, he no longer had his trusty sakabatou with him, which meant it would be extremely hard for him to fight back and escape.

"Jou-chan, are you sure you have no idea where Kenshin may be?" he asked for the fourth time.

Kaoru shook her head, tears still upon her face as she sat on the porch with Yahiko next to her. Megumi approached the two, setting down the tea she had brewed.

Megumi had been called to the dojo when Sanosuke and Yahiko returned to find that Kaoru was unconscious with the sakabatou near her and Kenshin nowhere to be found. As soon as Megumi revived Kaoru, they heard the entire tale and had already begun to plan his rescue.

"First of all, we need to scout for information," said Megumi, her calmness speaking logic.

"I'm the only one able to find information about secretive things, but I'm not about to leave you three alone with no protection," said Sanosuke, his brow furrowed in deep thought.

"I don't need protection!" jumped Yahiko.

"Shut up, Yahiko. You're still a brat and brats need protection. Jou-chan needs protection too," his voice lowered at that. More than Kenshin being kidnapped, Kaoru's reaction was worrying him more. She had not spoken a word since she retold what happened and she had not stopped crying. She blamed herself for what happened, and she would not get past it.

Yahiko settled down as he looked back at his teacher. Though he hardly got along with Kaoru, he truly did like her, like a motherly sister. Seeing her broken like this really pained him.

"Could we ask the help of the police?" asked Megumi. She too, did not like seeing Kaoru like this. It reminded her of the time that Kenshin disappeared to fight with Shishio.

"No. The police can't do anything about the yakuza. The yakuza forces easily outnumber any police force. Not to mention, I don't want to work with that squinty-eyed bastard. He won't offer us any help at all."

Yahiko nodded. Hajime Saito was not one to help out of charity. Besides, he had been transferred to Kyoto. How could he help them now?

"Why don't we ask Misao?" he suggested, suddenly remembering who lived in Kyoto, "She would definitely come, which means that Aoshi would come too. They would help us."

"That's not a half-bad idea! Vixen, can you go write a letter about the situation and ask them to come?" exclaimed Sanosuke.

"Of course!" she said, flipping her hair back with her hand.

"Make sure you ask them to seek out Kenshin's teacher too. Maybe he'll help us like last time."

Without acknowledging his command, she swept away and went to work, but she included that in her urgent letter. Within minutes, she had written the letter in her impeccable handwriting and sent it with the fastest messenger pigeon the dojo had.

"What should we do now?" asked Yahiko, still staring at Kaoru with a sad look in his eyes.

"We wait," replied Sanosuke, "And hope that Kenshin can hold out until help comes."

* * *

Yay! Aoshi and Misao are coming back! I haven't decided if I'm going to bring Hiko back, but the chances are slim. And poor Kenshin and Kaoru. Can Kenshin hold on? Will Kaoru regain her strength once again? Find out in the next chapters! Hope you enjoyed chapter 5!! ^.^

chibichan38


	6. Chapter 6

A special thanks to BnK for being the first person to review my story! Thanks!! I really appreciate your encouragement! ^.^

And now onto the story:

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Enjoy Chapter 6!

**Chapter 6**

The rurouni sagged against his chains, no longer having the strength to even lift his head. It had been four days since he had been captured. His body was covered in cuts in numerous places; several of his bones were broken; and his arms had been dislocated from being hung by them with added weights to his legs. The pain had clouded his bright eyes and he no longer tried to think of a way to escape. All he struggled to think about now was to hang on and endure the torture. But he couldn't last much longer.

Kenshin felt dread spread through his heart as he heard the dungeon doors creak open. What were they going to do to him today?

"Battousai, are you awake?" came Yamaguichi's voice.

Kenshin didn't respond and kept his eyes closed, not that Kabuki or his followers or see that anyway. His long red bangs cast a shadow over his face, covering the pain shone on it. He didn't want to give his captors the satisfaction that he was bending to every one of their impulses.

He heard a snap and felt a bucket of water splash onto him. He squirmed in pain, his eyes flashing open as he gasped loudly. It wasn't normal water. It was salt water, and it burned every single one of his open and festering wounds.

Slowly, the burning sensation faded to a low hum of pain and Kenshin looked up at Kabuki with hatred in his glazed eyes.

Kabuki smirked at his look. He had stopped wearing his mask, allowing Kenshin to see each and every one of his hateful expressions.

"Do you want to talk today? I'll let you go if you tell me the secrets of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu."

"Never," spat Kenshin. He still had not lost his fighting spirit, though his body was falling into shambles.

Kabuki nodded to the man on his right and he brought out a platter of miso soup, tonkatsu, and steaming rice in front of Kenshin. Kenshin's mouth started watering at the sight of the food. He had not eaten or drank anything since he was captured, which was also another reason for the further weakening of his body. His cold had become even worse too. Kenshin felt as though his body was in a worse state than that time he fought Shishio.

As much as he hated doing so, Kenshin turned his head away from the food.

Kabuki understood the meaning of this action. His black eyes flashed with anger and he snapped his fingers again. Kenshin felt a searing pain erupt on his arms. One of the men had pulled out a match and set it against his bare skin, but again, Kenshin bite his tongue to prevent himself from crying out.

The usual tools were brought out once more, and he was whipped, cut, and burned for another long period of time until Kabuki yelled "stop." Kabuki always carefully made sure that Kenshin suffered, but not enough to die.

By the time Kabuki had left him alone, Kenshin had already lost consciousness, his dreams dark and shadowed by the reality of his situation. Kenshin was slowly losing himself to the pain. His entire body raked with pain and fever, his wounds slowly getting infected. It was getting harder and harder to stay wake up, let alone stay awake. He couldn't hold on much longer, but he had to see Kaoru's face one last time before everything was over. He just had to...

* * *

"What took you guys so damn long?" shouted Sanosuke as he saw Misao and Aoshi walking up to their dojo.

"Shut up, bird-head," yelled Misao, "Don't talk to Aoshi-sama that way!"

"We only got your letter three days ago and rushed here," explained Aoshi, "We could not find Hiko Seijuro, but to make up for that, we have found all the information needed about the Battousai. The Yamaguichi clan is surprisingly more secretive than I thought. They are very good at covering their tracks. That is why it took so long."

"Kenshin has already been captured for six days!" Sanosuke's worry was fully illuminated in his brown eyes.

"We are ready to go rescue Himura right now!" exclaimed Misao, "Aoshi-sama has found out where Himura is being held!"

"Is that true?" came Kaoru's tired voice. "Can we go save Kenshin now?"

"Jou-chan…" Sanosuke turned around to see Kaoru's tired face light up in anticipation. _Good, _thought Sanosuke, _It's about time she regained some of her self._ Kaoru had barely spoken or slept during these six days, let alone smile or laugh like she normally did. She was like an empty doll, just sitting in the dojo hall and staring up at the sky with dull eyes. It was the repeat of Kenshin leaving the first time, but even worse now because she felt as though it was her fault.

However, for the last couple of days, Kaoru had tried to pull herself together, now that she knew that Aoshi and Misao were coming to help them rescue Kenshin. She had resumed practicing her swordsmanship with Yahiko who was more than happy to join in.

Yahiko and Megumi showed up next to Kaoru, their faces anxious and eager. "Let's go rescue Ken-san!" Megumi said enthusiastically.

"Yeah! Kenshin's counting on us!" agreed Yahiko, his shinai already waiting on his back.

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Sanosuke, a smile appearing on his face for the first time since Kenshin had been kidnapped, "Let's go!"

* * *

I think the worst kind of torture is to not let you eat. Isn't that horrible? I absolutely will die if I couldn't eat the 7 meals I have everyday…weelll…not 7 per say, but you get the idea. More chapters coming! Read on to see if Sanosuke and co. (not Kenshin and co. anymore…*sniff*) will save Kenshin before he loses all will to live. Hope you enjoyed this short chapter! Please R&R! ^.^

chibichan38


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Enjoy Chapter 7!

**Chapter 7**

"Is this the place?" asked Sanosuke, staring at the gigantic castle at the edge of a cliff. He didn't even know there were even such edifices on the outskirts of Tokyo.

"Apparently, the Battousai is being held in the dungeon," said Aoshi.

"Could you not call Kenshin 'the Battousai'? He's just Himura Kenshin now," said Kaoru, pouting.

"Sorry, old habits die hard," murmured Aoshi, his emotionless face staring at the castle.

"We better get a move on," started Megumi, shivering in the cold wind, her medicine box rattling against her thin body, "I fear for Ken-san."

Yahiko nodded. Both he and Misao were so afraid, but they did not understand why.

The six of them quickly ran to the castle, with only their friend's wellbeing in their mind.

The gigantic doors loomed over the six friends, but it proved to be nothing more than a fly to Shinamori Aoshi who destroyed the thing in a matter of seconds with his two kodaichi's.

"Misao and I will take all of the yakuza members," said Aoshi, "You four hurry down to the dungeons. The defenses should be lower as you go lower. Yamaguichi didn't want his men to get their hands on his precious prize."

"Will you be able to handle it?" asked Megumi. Though she did not like Aoshi due to her past with him, she did not wish to treat more patients when her attention should be focused on Kenshin only.

"We are Oniwabanashu ninjas! Do you think such small fry can defeat us?" exclaimed Misao.

"Exactly," agreed Aoshi, "Now go. Time is of the essence."

"See ya later!" yelled Yahiko as he ran after Sanosuke, Kaoru and Megumi. He stayed close to Kaoru, the two having impeccable teamwork when it came to defeating goons while Sanosuke stayed close to Megumi to protect her.

Surprisingly, there weren't that many people there. Kaoru assumed that since this was a secret base, only those close to Yamaguichi would be allowed in it. What few people they met were quickly knocked out by Sanosuke and Yahiko. What she didn't know, was that all of them were having a meeting with Yamaguichi up on the second floor where the two ninjas were heading.

* * *

Aoshi burst open the door to see thirty or so people sitting on the ground in front of one man who sat one a chair. Quickly, Aoshi gathered that they had extremely good timing, to have everyone gathered in one spot. That meant the pathway to the dungeons were wide open.

"Who are you? How did you find this place?" demanded Yamaguichi, standing up from his chair.

"I am Shinamori Aoshi. I have come to take your life," he said, his voice low and deadly.

Realization spread across his face, "Ah, so you've come for the Battousai. I'm afraid there's nothing much to rescue," he grinned.

"What have you done to Himura?!" screamed Misao.

"Nothing out of the unusual," smirked Yamaguichi, "Just some torture, that's all."

Misao lurched forward in anger, but Aoshi put a stopping hand on her shoulder. She glanced up in surprise and saw that the normally expressionless ninja had anger etched onto his face. His teeth were clenched tightly as he took a step forward.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," he recited as he took another step forward, "I'm going to make you wish you never chose to raise even your voice at the Battousai."

"Oh?" He snapped his fingers and everyone in the room drew their swords, "Get him," he said, almost lazily.

Then, Aoshi made his move.

Misao slid to the ground in amazement and fear as she saw the man she loved massacre everyone in the room within a matter of seconds, leaving only Yamaguichi standing in fear.

Aoshi flicked his wrists, knocking off all the blood drops on his swords, and slowly walked to Yamaguichi.

"Spare me," he whimpered, all of his bravado disappearing. He may have been a hitokiri during the Bakumatsu, but definitely nothing of Kenshin's or Aoshi's league.

"No. I am going to make you suffer."

And two gleaming swords plunged downwards.

* * *

Yahiko swung around, "Did you hear that?" he asked his friends. They had almost made it down to the dungeon.

"Hear what?" asked Sanosuke, concentrating on finding the way through his horrible sense of direction.

"A scream."

"I didn't hear anything," said Megumi.

"Me neither," said Sanosuke, "Have you seen the keys?"

"Here," answered Kaoru, holding up a ring of keys. "I found it on the wall."

"Good, now all that's left is to find which room Kenshin's in."

The four called out Kenshin's name over and over again, but they got no response, so they had to open each and every one of the dungeon doors. Aggravated, Yahiko kicked the wall after opening six doors with no avail.

"Where is he?!" he demanded.

Kaoru and Megumi shook their heads, unable to answer.

"Wait," Sanosuke sniffed the air, "I smell blood. Over here!"

He pointed at the cell far down with several bars and bolts on it. Without waiting for the three to catch up, he sprinted to the door and wrestled with the door. Kaoru had the keys but he was too impatient to wait for her.

He kicked the door down easily: the hinges were rusted with age and mold, which surprised him. Why was there such little security for the Battousai?

Then he saw his friend, and what he saw horrified him.

Megumi, Kaoru, and Yahiko saw Sanosuke stop and stare in horror, a gasp escaping him. Kaoru ran as though her life was in danger to see what had happened. She almost screamed, seeing Kenshin hanging on the wall like a broken doll. A pool of blood lay under his feet; his gi and hakama almost torn to shreds with the numerous cuts and whip marks all over his body. His face and body were filled with bruises and he had several burn marks over him. And that was just the physical wounds.

"Oh, Kenshin," whimpered Kaoru, "What did they do to you?"

Yahiko was lost for words. He had never seen the one he respected the most in the entire world so…lifeless.

"First things first," said Sanosuke gruffly, getting over his shock quickly, "We need to get him down from there. Jou-chan, stand close to Kenshin while I get rid of this shackles on his arms and legs."

She nodded, reaching forward towards the rurouni.

Sanosuke pulled his left arm back and punched the left shackle around Kenshin's wrist, breaking it instantly. Kenshin's arm fell limply to his side. Then, he turned onto the right one.

Kenshin's body fell forward onto Kaoru who sunk to the ground with his weight. Gently, she turned him around so that he was lying down on his back with his shoulders and head supported by her legs and arms. Sanosuke quickly got rid of the steel ball around his friend's leg as Megumi rushed forward to administer to him.

"Kenshin," said Kaoru softly, "Kenshin, please wake up."

But her love did not respond to her.

* * *

Kenshin could hear people calling out for him, but he was too lost in the darkness of his mind to answer them. He felt as though he needed to, but he couldn't find his voice. His body wouldn't respond. He felt more pain as someone prodded his broken bones and he felt himself stirring. He didn't want to wake up. The pain was too much. Then, he heard an angel's voice calling out for him.

"Kenshin, Kenshin, please wake up."

He knew he needed to answer this angel and he struggled hard to open his eyes. He won the fight.

Kenshin's eyes slowly fluttered open. The world around him was blurry, but it quickly came into focus, though it constantly blurred in and out.

He saw the one face that he had been dreaming about for these past six days, and his face broke into a weak smile.

"Kao…ru…do…no…" his voice rasped weakly. It was so quiet that Kaoru had a hard time hearing him.

She smiled warmly, "It's alright. You're safe now. We're taking you home."

The long nightmare was finally over, but another was about to begin.

* * *

I know there weren't a lot of details about destroying the Yamaguichi clan, but I wanted to concentrate more on Kenshin. Sorry if you wanted more fights and whatnot, but I think Kenshin is much more important. . Thanks for reading this chapter! More to come soon!

chibichan38


	8. Chapter 8

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Enjoy Chapter 8!

**Chapter 8**

Aoshi scornfully kicked Yamaguichi's body to a side before he approached Misao again. He was a little wary of her, for she had never seen him so bloodthirsty before. Her wide black eyes stared at him in awe.

"Misao, it's over. Let's go find the Battousai," he said, offering a hand to help her up.

She recovered quickly from her shock, "Mou…you didn't even leave anyone for me, Aoshi-sama!"

"You were too slow," he responded. The corners of his mouth twitched, but he did not smile. He seemed incapable of this feat.

Then he heard a small weak chuckle from someone on the ground and he swung around. One man had his hand on a rope that came out of the wall.

A small rumbling erupted from the ground.

"What did you do?" gasped Aoshi in horror.

"I'm taking you all down with Yamaguichi-sama!" he cackled as he fell down dead.

Without another word, he picked up Misao roughly around her waist and jumped out the nearest window. Using his ninja skills, he landed lightly on the ground with no injuries with the help of nearby trees.

An explosion burst out in the castle and the whole place slowly started filling with fire.

"Aoshi-sama, Himura is still in there!" cried Misao, suddenly understanding why her leader had acted so rashly, but her worry for her friends was overwhelming her.

"He will be fine," Aoshi responded. He could sense that they were coming out very soon, but something was very wrong about one of their ki's. One of them was fading away fast.

* * *

"Jou-chan, we need to get going. I'm afraid that the yakuza might do something stupid. Megumi, pack up your things," said Sanosuke, the relief he felt a minute earlier when Kenshin woke up disappearing.

She nodded and quickly shoved her supplies into her box again.

"Kenshin, can you walk?" he asked, bending down to eye level with the redhead.

Kenshin slowly shook his head a little, his eyelids threatening to close again. He had no strength to stay awake anymore.

Sanosuke sighed, but reached over to slide his left arm underneath Kenshin's knees and his right arm under the swordsman's shoulders. Then, effortlessly, he lifted his friend up from Kaoru's arms, making Kenshin's head loll to the side to lean against Sanosuke's strong chest.

His eyes widened slightly as he felt the lightness and heat of Kenshin's body. He was in very bad condition. He didn't need to be a doctor to know that.

"Come on, let's go," he urged.

Then he heard the rumblings. He figured something like this was going to happen. Just like that time when Kenshin fought Shishio.

"Jou-chan, Megumi, Yahiko, this place is going to blow up. You guys need to run out of here as fast as you can. Go now!" he yelled.

Without another word, all four ran quickly back up the stairs. Kaoru, Megumi, Yahiko all quickly took the lead. Sanosuke ran much slower than normal, fearing that any jostling would cause pain to Kenshin in his arms, but they all made out in time, right when the castle exploded with fire.

By then, Aoshi had managed to return with a carriage, figuring that Kenshin was in no condition to walk the fifteen miles back home. Everyone filed in, not wanting to stay there any longer, lest policemen are attracted to the smoke and fire.

Kenshin was placed onto one side of the bench while Kaoru, Megumi, and Misao sat across from him. Yahiko sat with Aoshi in front of the carriage and Sanosuke sat on top of the carriage. Aoshi flicked at the reins and the horses galloped back into town so that Kenshin could finally get the treatment he needed.

But that was _if_ he survived until then…

* * *

As soon as Megumi pulled away Kenshin's clothes, she could tell that his condition was even worse than she actually imagined. Along with the numerous cuts and burn wounds, his two arms were dislocated, several of his ribs were broken or fractured, his left arm was broken, several of his fingers were smashed, and his right leg was broken as well. Luckily, there were no internal injuries, but just these physical wounds were enough to worry if he would survive the night.

"Sanosuke, come here for a second," she called out from Kenshin's room. Everyone had been forced to stay outside while she worked. She didn't want anyone distracting her. Sanosuke entered and saw Kenshin lying on his futon with Megumi hovering over him. It pained him to see his friend so helpless and in agony.

"What do you need?" he asked Megumi, forcing his eyes onto her.

"Ken-san's arms are dislocated. I need to put them back into their sockets."

Sanosuke winced, "You need me to hold him down so he doesn't struggle…"

"Yes. I don't think anyone else has the strength to do it, and I don't trust Shinamori."

"Alright."

Sanosuke kneeled next to Kenshin and forced him to sit up. He held onto him tightly, preventing him to move anywhere, even if Kenshin had the strength to do so.

Megumi gritted her teeth as she held onto Kenshin's right arm, "Here we go. This is going to hurt, Ken-san…"

With a quick movement, she popped the arm back into its socket with a funny noise.

Kenshin's eyes snapped open as he cried out in pain. He squirmed under Sanosuke's grasp, but he could not move. He panted heavily, his breathing shallow.

"I'm sorry, Ken-san, that must've really hurt," apologized Megumi, "But I need to do it to your left arm too."

His glazed purple eyes widened in fear, "No…"

"Sanosuke," she said sharply.

Sanosuke shifted so that he and Megumi had switched sides. Megumi took Kenshin's left arm into her hands.

Sanosuke could feel Kenshin cringe towards him, "It'll be over soon, Kenshin," he assured, pain filling his own eyes.

"Sano…let me…go…please…" gasped Kenshin, begging with his friend.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, hating himself so much for not obliging the swordsman.

Another cry erupted into the air as Megumi snapped his other arm back into its rightful position. Kenshin fell limply against Sanosuke, the pain knocking him out.

"Oi, Kenshin…Kenshin!"

He looked up at Megumi who actually looked scared. She had checked Kenshin's pulse and breathing rate and she did not look happy at all.

"Vixen, why do you look like that?" he asked softly.

She hesitated. Then she spoke with tears in her eyes, "I don't think Ken-san will make it this time, Sanosuke…"

* * *

Cliff-hanger! I absolutely hate cliff-hangers, but if I write a story and leave myself at a cliff hanger, I find that I have more of a motivation to finish the story. Fun, isn't it? So, Kenshin got rescued, but he's going to need to fight even harder if he wants to survive with so many wounds on his body. Can he do it? Find out in the next chapters coming up soon!

chibichan38


	9. Chapter 9

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Enjoy Chapter 9!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 9**

Megumi worked throughout the night, stitching and administrating each and every one of Kenshin's wounds. Sanosuke sat at the side watching with a glazed look over his eyes, helping hold his friend down every time a spasm of pain hit him. By the time dawn had come, Megumi had managed to treat Kenshin, but worry still hovered over her heart.

Kenshin's low breathing was shallow and raspy. His body raged with fever, a sure sign of infection, and was racked with tremors that sent pain shooting throughout him. Megumi had managed to get rid of the infectious areas, but Kenshin still needed to fight off that fever that continued to climb. Kenshin was bandaged quite extensively, only leaving a few places bare. He had so many physical wounds that it horrified Megumi beyond belief, and she was a seasoned doctor.

Megumi would not allow anyone to come near his room unless it was Sanosuke when she needed him. After all, it was vital to make sure that Kenshin survived the first twenty-four hours in capable hands. If he survived, then he had a chance of recovery. If not…Megumi shook her head. She didn't want to even _think_ of the possibility that her dear Ken-san would pass away, but at least he survived through the night. The only question now was, would he survive the day?

She placed a cool cloth on top of Kenshin's head, keeping in mind that she would need ice soon to lower the fever, but she needed some rest. Any longer, and she wouldn't be able to think clearly and that was definitely not good for Kenshin.

She stood, stretching out her tense limbs.

"Where are you going?" asked Sanosuke, his voice hoarse.

"I need to explain to Kaoru-chan about Ken-san's condition. I'm sure everyone is worried."

"I'll come with you."

"No," she firmly said, "Someone needs to watch over Ken-san and make sure nothing happens. After I tell everyone about Ken-san, I'm going to rest a little so I can still be coherent when treating him. You will need to rest too, once I can get Kaoru-chan or Yahiko to take over for you."

Sanosuke nodded, the sleep deprivation showing on his tired face. _At least it would only be for a few more minutes_, he thought, looking back at Kenshin's pale and sickly face. _Only a few more minutes of seeing him like this…_

As soon as Megumi left Kenshin's room, she was almost knocked over by Yahiko and Misao.

"Megumi, how is he?" demanded Yahiko, his fear showing openly upon his face.

"First things first, where are Kaoru-chan and Aoshi?" she asked.

"Aoshi-sama is keeping watch in case someone decides to take advantage of Himura's current weakness," responded Misao, her eyes red from crying.

"Kaoru is in the dojo, though I don't know what she's doing…" muttered Yahiko. More so than Kenshin, he was worried about how Kaoru was going to take this. After all, she blamed herself that Kenshin got captured.

Suddenly, the three heard light footsteps approach them, "I'm right here," said Kaoru, coming up to Megumi in her swordsman's clothes. "Do you need something?"

Megumi scrutinized her friend's face. No sign of tears, no sign of despair. Just sheer determination…

"I'm not going to sugar coat it. Ken-san's condition is very bad. He is fighting for every breath, but I need to rest if I have to continue to take care of Ken-san. Sanosuke too. And with Ken-san so weakened, at least one person has to be with him at all times. Could you watch over Ken-san while we rest?"

"Of course," replied Kaoru.

"No, you misunderstand me. _Can_ you watch over him?" Megumi's voice rang with urgency and doubt.

"_Yes._" Kaoru didn't hesitate, her own voice ringing with sincerity.

Megumi paused for a minute, and then nodded, as if Kaoru had passed a test, "Ken-san has yet to awaken. If he does or if there are any chances, find me immediately. I'll be resting in my room."

"Alright."

"Tell Sanosuke to go to sleep too. He looks even worse than I do."

Kaoru nodded, "Misao-chan, go help Aoshi and keep watch for us, please."

Misao shook her head, "I want to help Himura. I want to be there for him."

"Iie, Misao. You're coming with me," came Aoshi's sudden voice. Everyone jumped, except for Misao.

"Why?" she whined.

"You will not be able to handle seeing the Battousai like this," he said softly, "He underwent torture that even the Oniiwanbanshi was not capable of. You, who are so used to seeing the Battousai strong and unfailing, will not be able to stand seeing him so fallen. Besides, if word gets out that the Battousai is severely weakened, do you know how many people will come seeking for revenge? I need all the watchful eyes as I can get."

Misao bowed her head in defeat, knowing that her mentor spoke the truth, "Hai, Aoshi-sama." Aoshi nodded and suddenly disappeared into the darkness of the walkway. Misao ran forward and jumped onto the roof, joining her comrade as the sun began to rise.

Then, Megumi slowly walked to her room without another word. She was too exhausted.

"Yahiko…" started Kaoru as soon as Megumi was out of sight.

"Oi, busu, don't tell me the same things as Aoshi just told that weasel girl. I'm not leaving, no matter what you say!" he said, his voice adamant.

Kaoru smiled, "I wasn't going to. I'm going to need your help taking care of Kenshin. We were the ones who've known him the longest. We should be able to understand what he needs by now. He doesn't need people that will cry and not do anything. That is why Misao can't do it. We both have stronger hearts. Perhaps that will give Kenshin the strength to recover faster."

Yahiko stared at her in disbelief. Never did he expect Kaoru to be so calm and level-headed, but he was impressed. She had overcome whatever sadness she had experienced and turned it into something that was actually useful. Maybe it was the fact that Kaoru had faced a similar situation to this before, when Kenshin had said goodbye to her, and all she could do was cry. This time, Yahiko was sure, Kaoru wanted to do something for the one who is most precious to her.

"Un!" he nodded, opening the sliding door to Kenshin's room where Kenshin lay struggling with the nightmares that plagued his mind: nightmares of his past.

* * *

I had time today, so I wrote a short chapter. Kenshin's still not cleared yet, so keep on reading to find out what happens! Chapter 10 will be coming soon!

~ chibichan38


	10. Chapter 10

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Enjoy Chapter 10!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

As the fever plagued Kenshin's body, his delirious mind began to wander, shifting through his memories that constantly haunted him. He had just barely managed to escape falling into that dark pit and was slowly regaining his consciousness, but only to the point where he could feel the pain that ravaged through him. Though he was trapped in a deep darkness, he was still vaguely aware of the fact that the strength in his body was slowly fading. He was struggling just to maintain his beating heart. It was so hard…so painful to continue in this manner, but he had to. Why? He couldn't remember. The reason meant the whole world to him, but why couldn't he suddenly remember?

Panic filled his heart as he felt some dark hand grab him. Kenshin felt fear like no other as he struggled harshly against the hand. This only caused more pain in his body. Then, he couldn't move. Something was holding him down, preventing him from escaping that hand. He wanted to yell or do something to run away, but he couldn't do anything. He had no voice and no strength to raise his sakabatou against his invisible adversary. It was a hopeless battle – one that Kenshin was losing.

The hand didn't hesitate. As soon as Kenshin stopped struggling, it dragged him back down in the endless pit of his nightmares.

* * *

"Sanosuke, you can go rest now," said Kaoru as she entered Kenshin's room. To her surprise, Sanosuke wasn't sitting next to Kenshin as she thought he would be. Instead, he was hovering over his friend, holding him down as a spasm attacked Kenshin's body.

"What's wrong with him?" demanded Yahiko, peeking around Kaoru's stiff body.

"I don't know," Sanosuke hissed, "He was motionless until a second ago, and I didn't even touch him! I think the fever is finally affecting his head, but whatever it is, flailing around definitely won't help him any."

Then, as suddenly as his most recent attack, Kenshin became as still as a statue. The only sign that he was still alive was the pain that was written all over his face. Sanosuke frowned as he pulled away from his friend, staring at him. He was sweating harder than before and his breathing had grown shallower. His normally pale face paled further, contrasting deeply with his fiery red hair.

"Kenshin…" he murmured, his concern increasing ten-fold.

A slender hand rested on his shoulder, "Go get some sleep, Sanosuke. Yahiko and I will take care of him from now on," said Kaoru, gently.

Dumbly, Sanosuke nodded and stood up, quickly leaving the room, casting one last look at his fallen friend before heading back to his own room.

As soon as he was out of that tense place, his worry was overshadowed by anger and irritation at his friend.

"Damn it, Kenshin!" swore Sanosuke, punching the nearest wall in aggravation, "If you die, I swear I'll drag you back from hell and beat you right back!"

_Jou-chan, Vixen, and Yahiko still need you. _I _need you. You can't go anywhere yet, Kenshin. I didn't say you could! _he thought as he remembered Kenshin's promise that he "wouldn't leave without his say so," but here he was, breaking that promise one more time.

* * *

"Yahiko, put another wet cloth on his forehead," commanded Kaoru as she gently wiped away the sweat on Kenshin's body.

Yahiko obeyed without a comment. It seemed like he was shocked at how badly Kenshin looked, his pale face showing more pain than he had ever seen before. Kaoru, on the other hand, had somehow managed to compose herself in front of the man that she had grown to love. Her heart felt as though something was clenching it tightly, but she ignored it, sealing away her worry for another time.

Tears and worry wouldn't help Kenshin now. Just comfort and a strong heart will help, and that was what Kaoru was planning to give him.

_

* * *

_

Kenshin found himself wandering around a place that seemed familiar, but still mysterious to him. The ground was covered in human skulls and bones that seemed to go on for miles. The sky was a bleak darkness that showed no signs of sunlight coming through. It was entirely empty – void of any life whatsoever.

_He looked down upon himself, still confused. His hands were covered in dark blood and he had two swords at his waist. The dark clothes he wore were blood-splattered and tattered. Everything just somehow clicked then._

Ah…so I'm back in hell once again, _he thought,_ Am I dreaming again?

"_If you're dreaming, would you be able to feel pain, Battousai?"_ _came a familiar voice, one that Kenshin hoped to never hear again._

_Kenshin slowly turned around to see Makoto Shishio grinning at him beneath those layers of bandages that covered his hideous burned face. "Shishio…"_

_Suddenly, Kenshin was acutely aware of a burning pain in his chest. His hand shot up to clench at his clothes. _

_Shishio grinned, "It's not a dream, is it, Battousai? You're not supposed to feel physical pain in dreams. Tell me, are you dying? I can feel your spirit here growing stronger and stronger. That could only mean that your spirit in the other world is failing."_

"_No…" he gasped as it grew harder for him to breath. "I have to return. I can't stay here…"_

"_Why? You belong here, Battousai. You know you do. Keep me company, Battousai, as everyone you have ever killed tears you apart!" Shishio cackled._

"_They're waiting…for me…Not yet…I can't come here yet…"_

"_Who is waiting for you? You can't even remember their names."_

"_That's…" Kenshin struggled with his swirling thoughts and fading vision. He sank to the ground, his chest heaving with the effort to fill with air._

_Shishio bent down so that he was at eye-level with the swordsman. "Give up, Battousai. You belong here. You _will_ come here."_

"_No…" he whispered, but his whisper was lost in the abyss. Shishio had disappeared, leaving him alone in the darkness._

* * *

Something was wrong. Kaoru could feel it. Kenshin's heartbeat had suddenly slowed and his breathing seemed to have stopped altogether. No…was he giving up already?

"Yahiko! Go call Megumi-chan, now!" she exclaimed, bending over her love.

Yahiko took one look at the tears threatening to overflow his master's eyes and ran to Megumi's room as though his life depended on it.

Within seconds, Megumi, Yahiko, Misao, and Sanosuke crowded around Kenshin's still form. Megumi shoved Kaoru and everyone to a side as she started to do emergency CPR. Kaoru was too frightened for Kenshin's life to care that Megumi was having lip contact with Kenshin.

Megumi worked furiously. She could feel Kenshin's heartbeat fading away until it suddenly stopped completely. Tears filled her eyes as she continued to press down on Kenshin's chest in an attempt to start his heart again.

"Ken-san, don't do this to me. Breath, damn it, breath!" she almost screamed.

Sanosuke's eyes widened in shock as he realized what had happened. There was no way…There was no way someone of Kenshin's caliber would have been defeated with just a some torture…There was no way…

Yahiko felt the same as Sanosuke. It was a joke, right? The fact that the man he looked up to the most lay dying in front of his eyes. There was no way this could be happening…could it?

Misao could only cry as she felt her dear friend slip away from this world. There were no thoughts. Only sorrow…

Kaoru fell to here knees, her hands cupped over her mouth as tears fell like a waterfall. How could something like this happen? Kenshin was getting better, wasn't he? What happened? How did he suddenly turn out like this?

_Don't leave me, Kenshin! Don't leave me alone! _she cried in her mind, stifling the sob that threatened to erupt. _Don't do this to me!_

She watched on in horror as Megumi continued to press down on Kenshin's chest. She could tell that he wasn't breathing anymore and his heartbeat had faded away.

"No…" she cried, "No!"

She threw her entire soul into a scream that echoed around the dark room, "KENSHIN!!!", but no matter how many times she screamed his name, there was no answer from her love.

_

* * *

_

Kenshin suddenly felt another presence approaching him: a familiar and gentle presence.

_Delicate and pale hands surrounded his cheeks, brushing gently against the cross-shaped scar upon his face._

_Kenshin's eyes softened at the sight of the pale, beautiful woman with long black hair tied back with a blue ribbon. Her white kimono with blue shawl was a comforting sight indeed, especially since it wasn't blood-stained, like him._

"_Tomoe…" he breathed, his chest hurting to the point where he was barely staying conscious. The only thing keeping him there was the smell of __hakubaiko that seemed to fill the entire air with a pleasant, nostalgic feel._

"_Kenshin, what are you doing here?" she asked, "You don't belong here. Go home, back to your most precious person."_

"_I belong here…I killed so many people…"_

"_And you saved so many others! This time, you need to save yourself. Fight this, my love. If you don't, your precious person will be sad. You know what it feels like to be left behind. Don't do this to her. Go back."_

"_It hurts, Tomoe," whimpered Kenshin._

"_I know it does, love, but it'll hurt more if you don't return," she said softly._

_A sudden bell sound echoed around Hell. Tomoe looked up at the parting clouds. "Look," she smiled, "They're calling for you. You need to answer them."_

"_I don't want to leave you, Tomoe…not when I've finally found you again…" Kenshin protested._

_Her smile grew gentler, "My beloved, as long as you are happy, I will be too. You will be happy with her, Kenshin. She's calling for you. Return to her, my love. They're waiting for you."_

_The pain seemed to dull as she spoke, and Kenshin could feel a pull on his soul once more. This time, he didn't resist. He could feel deep in his heart that whatever had captured him this time was something that he loved and did not want to be parted from. His eyes closed as he let himself be drawn back to where his heart belonged._

_His last words in that world, was, "Goodbye, Tomoe, and thank you."_

* * *

What do you think? Sorry it took so long. I completely ran out of ideas and couldn't write. Many thanks to those who reviewed, giving me more motivation to continue writing!

The story's about to come to an end, so be sure to review more!

Hope you enjoyed Chapter 10! Chapter 11 and Epilogue coming up soon! Remember to review review!!! ^.^

~chibichan38


	11. Chapter 11

I do not own Rurouni Kenshin. Rated T for violence and blood.

Enjoy Chapter 11!

* * *

Chapter 11

Megumi slowly pulled away from Kenshin's prone form. She had been performing CPR for more than five minutes now. Any chance of Kenshin returning was now one in a million.

"I'm sorry…" she whispered to him. _I'm sorry my ability could only help you this far, Ken-san._

"You're lying, right, Vixen? It's got to be a lie," said Sanosuke, an empty mirthless smile appearing on his face. He roughly grabbed Kenshin by his shirt and pulled him up to yell in his face, "Oi! Kenshin! You've taken this too far! Wake up! Wake up, damn it!"

"Sanosuke, leave him be," Megumi said softly, "Let him rest in peace."

"He's not dead! He's not dead!" shouted Sanosuke, shaking his friend, "Come on, wake up, Kenshin!!"

Yahiko and Misao were lost for words, but tears shone upon their faces as they watched the heartbreaking scene in front of them.

"Kenshin!" sobbed Kaoru, her strong spirit from before breaking down and crumbling to dust. She fell forward while on her knees, crying her heart like she once did before. She never even got to tell him her feelings. She had so many things she wanted to do, to see with him, but she would never get the chance, will she?

_"Don't cry, Kaoru-chan. He's coming back for you…"_ a whispering sigh brushed past her ear.

Instantly, Kaoru stopped her tears. The voice seemed to be familiar, but she was sure she had never heard it before. Yet, she knew it. Deep in her heart, that kind and gentle voice could only belong to the one that Kenshin once loved.

"Tomoe-san?" Kaoru's voice was barely above a whisper. She got no response, but she didn't need it. Hope had renewed in her heart. She sat back up on her knees, clasping her hands together in a prayer, _Bring him back to me, Tomoe-san, Kami-sama. Bring him back to me!_

"Kenshin?!" Sanosuke's angry voice suddenly changed into a more incredulous tone, catching everyone's attention.

"What's wrong, Sanosuke?" asked Megumi.

"I think…he's…breathing again."

Megumi sprang to action, pushing Sanosuke to the floor as she examined her patient. Her jaw dropped open.

"He's breathing! How could this happen? I could've sworn his heart stopped beating five minutes ago!" she exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter!" rejoiced Sanosuke, "He's alive! That's all that matters!"

A smile spread across his face as he shot a glance back at Kaoru, "Jou-chan! He's alive!"

Kaoru grinned, the tear-streaks still upon her face, but the tears had long stopped, "Hai!"

* * *

Despite the horrible ordeal, Kenshin still had not regained consciousness, but at least he had survived. His wounds were healing nicely and his fever had died down by the third day. He was no longer having nightmares. Instead, he had a peaceful look upon his face as he slowly recovered.

Megumi predicted that he would awaken soon, but how soon, no one knew. He had already been unconscious for a week or so now. Though he was now out of danger, Megumi still ordered that at least one person be in his room and keep watch in case he woke up. Most of the time, it was either Kaoru or Sanosuke, seeing how she had other patients to take care of.

Misao spent most of her time with her Aoshi-sama who had not stopped keeping watch for the Battousai. Yahiko, on the other hand, trained even harder than before. He wanted to be strong for Kenshin – much stronger so that he would never have to see Kenshin like that again.

When Kenshin finally woke up, Sanosuke was the lucky one to be the first to see his friend open his eyes.

* * *

Kenshin slowly stirred, his eyelids fluttering open. Everything was blurry, and he was dazed. He couldn't even figure out where he was. He was too tired to try to think.

"Kenshin?" came a familiar voice.

Instantly, Kenshin recognized it as Sanosuke's. He tried to respond, but his mouth wouldn't move.

"Wait one second," said Sanosuke, "I'm going to get Jou-chan."

Kenshin closed his eyes again, exhausted, as he heard the door open and close. Sanosuke's heavy footsteps faded away. _Kaoru-dono…_he thought as her smiling face appeared in his mind. The thought of her gave him strength to fight the sluggishness that bound his injured body.

As rapid footsteps neared his room, Kenshin had gathered enough energy to force his senses to become more lucid than before. The door slammed open and Kenshin's face burst out into a wide smile as he saw the first face enter his room.

"Hello, Kaoru-dono." His voice was still weak and hoarse, but his smile was genuine and bright, and that's all that mattered to Kaoru.

She flung herself forward, hugging Kenshin, tears of happiness in her eyes. Kenshin winced at the pain of her action, but moved his non-broken hand to pat her back.

"This one is sorry for worrying, Kaoru-dono." He glanced at his friends standing at the door: Sano, Yahiko, Megumi-dono, Misao-dono, and even Aoshi hung back, looking back at him. "This one is sorry for worrying all of you."

"It doesn't matter," sniffed Kaoru, "All that matters is that you're back with us. Welcome back, Kenshin. We missed you."

Kenshin grinned, "I'm home."

* * *

Short chapter, but I think I got everything important in this chapter. Yay! Kenshin survives!

Hope you guys enjoyed Chapter 11! Epilogue is next! The meaning behind the title of this story will finally come into the light!

Please review!

~chibichan38 ^.^


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